Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #65)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Jan 7, 2015.

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  1. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    I don't hate the guy personally, but I'll admit that his reviews have rubbed me the wrong way for a long time. Back when I regularly read Fanfare, I noticed that I greatly enjoyed John Wiser's reviews even though I usually didn't agree with them, while Hurwitz's, for some reason I could never quite put my finger on, irritated the heck out of me though I agreed with them more often. But then came the real fall from grace: in the issue when Opus, as close to my ideal music/record magazine as has ever been published, came under control of Musical America, which promptly proceeded to turn it into a shill for the artsiest of fartsy, Hurwitz contributed an article the gist of which was that records, and particularly old records, are useless for understanding musical performances, and the only valid way to experience music is by attending concerts (with an implication, if I remember correctly, that they don't count if they don't contain at least mostly uglier-than-thou bleeding edge modern works). Nicely in keeping with the Musical America party line, but you can imagine how well that line of argument sat with me. I'll grant that his magnum opus on vibrato is an impressive piece of work--and if memory serves, curiously, it relied at least on old recordings to make its point. Hmmmm.....
     
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  2. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Yeah, those are also EMI reCordings (included in the ICON box.)
     
  3. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    It's in the big UMG box
     
  4. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    He has company in those new math gurus who have been pushing new math over the past thirty years in the US public schools and we all know the results ...
     
  5. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Thanks.
     
  6. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    Wasn't Heliodor one of those labels that jumped enthusiastically onto the fake stereo bandwagon? I have only two records on that label, a lieder recital by Rita Streich and Beethoven's 5th by the BPO under Furtwangler. Both are honest mono, but the latter was also available as fake stereo.
     
  7. MC Rag

    MC Rag Forum Resident

    On a bit of a Richter hunt now, anyone know if these recordings are available as a single CD? I can see they're part of the Complete DG solo/concerto recordings box but I'd prefer a stand alone cd.
    [​IMG]
     
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  8. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    I did an internet search and this turned up:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schumann-Fa...TF8&qid=1422353693&sr=8-1&keywords=B00000E53F

    http://www.amazon.com/Schumann-Waldszenen-Fantasiestucke-Novellette-Toccata/dp/B00000E53F/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1422353598&sr=1-3&keywords=sviatoslav richter schumann&pebp=1422353610267&peasin=B00000E53F

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. MC Rag

    MC Rag Forum Resident

  10. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Starting the morning with a collection of oboe concertos by Telemann. The first CD of his music that I bought, many years ago. Haven't played it in some time.
     
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  11. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Didn't his orchestra in London number about 60?

    In one letter, Mozart wished for an orchestra of 40 violins, 10 violas, 6 celli, 10 double basses and double winds on each part. He never got that, but his desire might be borne in mind.
     
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  12. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    My best friend over the years, as a Richter collector, has been this site: http://www.trovar.com/str/discs/

    On it, I found:

    Fantasiestücke, opus 12 no. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8
    • (Prague, 28 Nov 1956)
      • DG 18355 (LP) or 29326 (LP) or or 618355 (LP)
      • DG 435751 (CD) or 457082 (CD) or 459018 (CD 1998)
      • Ekhos Hi-Fi 641946 (CD)
      • Philips 456952 (CD)
    March in g, opus 76 no. 2
    • (Prague, 29 Nov 1956)
      • DG 18355 (LP) or 29326 (LP) or 2548 231 (LP) or 435751 (CD) or 459018 (CD 1998)
      • Ekhos Hi-Fi 641946 (CD)
      • Ultraphon 11 1421 (CD)
      • Bukok DE 0186 (CD)
    Waldszenen, opus 82 (Prague, 26 - 28 Nov 1956)
    • DG 18355 (LP) or 2548 231 (LP) or 435751 (CD) or 447440 (CD) or 459018 (CD 1998)
    • Ekhos Hi-Fi 641946 (CD)
    • Philips 456952 (CD 1999)
    ____________________

    With DG, I always suggest the earliest CD release: 435751 (CD) has all of the material conatained on the LP you pictured (DG 18355.) To find a picture of it, Trovar has another page or cover art: http://www.trovar.com/str/covers/index.html just click on DG and you'll see it listed there.

    I actually own that CD. It is listed as being a mono CD and has, in addition to the works listed above, Novellette Op. 21 No. 1, Toccata Op.7 and Variations Abegg Op. 1. Richter's Schumann is superb! I strongly recommend this disc.
     
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  13. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    [​IMG]

    Now enjoying this wonderful CD, thanks to MC Rag's reminder. Richter's tone in Das Abends is luminous.
     
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  14. MC Rag

    MC Rag Forum Resident

    George, thank you very much for all the info. I will definitely pick up DG435751. The other Richter solo CD I particularly like is Tchaikovsky Piano Music including "The Seasons" Studio recorded in Bavaria 1983. I've tried several of his live CDs but the coughing and sneezing on many of them puts me off, including the 1958 Pictures at an Exhibition. Do you have any other recommendations for Richter Studio recordings on CD? Would love to find a good studio "Pictures" and also "24 Preludes & Fugues" ideally on the same disk!
     
  15. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Pictures was never a work I enjoyed (not even Richter's recordings), until hearing Natan Brand. If you ever see this 2CD set, grab it!

    [​IMG]

    I haven't heard Shostakovich's 24 preludes and fugues as of yet, so unfortunately I can't help there.

    As for Richter in the studio, I don't really think in terms like that (I go for best performance), so it's hard to say. I think most of the EMI ICON box is studio and I like that set a lot. Unfortunately, many of Richter's best performances involve some audience noise. Just like the surface noise of the old 78s, I was put off by it at first, but later learned to listen past it and enjoy the incredible performances.
     
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  16. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I'll be listening to "Pictures" live a week from Sunday. It's the music for a new ballet by Alexander Ratmansky (probably today's leading ballet choreographer). In the Times review last fall, the critic went out of his way to praise the pianist. The pianist was Cameron Grant. Here's the first sentence of the review.

    "The knockout central ingredient of Alexei Ratmansky’s fresh, complex, many-chambered new ballet, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” is its Mussorgsky score as played onstage."

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/04/arts/dance/city-ballet-presents-pictures-at-an-exhibition.html
     
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  17. MC Rag

    MC Rag Forum Resident

    Looks like a rare one, but I'll keep my eyes open for one at a reasonable price.
     
  18. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Now enjoying an earlier incarnation of the above CD:

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. alankin1

    alankin1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philly
    Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet No.1 Op.18/1, No.5 Op.18/5 — Alexander String Quartet (Arte Nova—Sony Music GmbH)
     
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  20. Fafner88

    Fafner88 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Haifa, Israel
    I think he did get it, this letter was a description of an actual performance of his 'Paris symphony' no.31, so gargantuan orchestras was an actual historical reality even back in the 18th century.

    But yes, this is what I was talking about. I think Mozart's and Haydn's symphonies are already a full fledged symphonic music in the modern sense, and therefore the HIP baroque-concerto-sonority approach is totally at odds with the character and spirit of the music. And it really horrifies me to see that early and even late romantic music is being played more and more frequently with this pseudo-baroque approach under the pretense of 'historical authenticity' -- like Beethoven (which is old news), Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and even Brahms.
     
  21. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    You're correct - I should have said he rarely got it.

    And that size orchestra may be a tad larger than I like - unless they're conducted by George Szell.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2015
  22. WHitese

    WHitese Senior Member

    Location:
    North Bergen, NJ
  23. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Speaking of lute music, this is on its way to me.

    [​IMG]
     
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  24. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Working from home often means a little baroque music in the background, but I'm finding Christopher Herrick's recording of Bach Toccatas and Fugues really distracting.....

    [​IMG]
     
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  25. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Now playing DVD2 from the following twofer for a first watch/listen ...

    [​IMG]
     
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